Input Device

This application is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/JP2024/007935 filed on Mar. 4, 2024 and designated the U.S., which is based upon and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-090679, filed on Jun. 1, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to input devices.

A tactile force sensing device of the related art has a capacitive load sensor and a capacitive sensing unit. The capacitive load sensor includes a first electrode plate on which a plurality of positive electrodes are arranged in an array on a single plane, a second electrode plate on which a single negative electrode is arranged, and a cylinder disposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate to form a plurality of capacitors. The capacitive sensing unit detects a capacitance of each capacitor of the plurality of capacitors that varies according to an external force applied to the second electrode plate of the capacitive load sensor. The tactile force sensing device further has a distributed load measurement unit that measures a distributed load representing a distribution of a load applied to the cylinder based on a variation in the capacitance of each capacitor detected by the capacitive sensing unit, and a load information calculation unit that calculates a total load and a load center position of an external force applied to the second electrode plate based on a relationship between a cylinder stroke length with respect to the distributed load and a pattern of the distributed load (refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2020-187069, for example).

However, because the tactile force sensing device of the related art does not assume a case where a hardness of a sensor operating surface is non-uniform, it is not possible to determine presence of a pressing operation with respect to the sensor operating surface based on fixed criteria in the case where the hardness of the sensor operating surface is non-uniform.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide an input device capable of determining presence of a pressing operation with respect to a sensor operating surface based on fixed criteria.

An input device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an input section having an operating surface configured to be operated by a manipulating body; a plurality of detection electrodes provided on a back side of the operating surface; a measurement circuit configured to measure an electrostatic capacitance value of each detection electrode of the plurality of detection electrodes; and a correction circuit configured to correct the electrostatic capacitance value of each detection electrode of the plurality of detection electrodes measured by the measurement circuit, wherein the input section is configured to include portions where displacements with respect to a pressing operation on the operating surface by the manipulating body with a predetermined pressing force differ depending on positions on the operating surface, and the correction circuit is configured to correct the electrostatic capacitance value of each detection electrode of the plurality of detection electrodes using smaller correction values for cases where a displacement caused by the pressing operation performed at pressing positions overlapping the plurality of detection electrodes on the operating surface in a plan view becomes larger.

The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

Hereinafter, embodiments applied with an input device according to the present disclosure will be described.

An XYZ coordinate system will be defined and described in the following. A direction (X-direction) parallel to an X-axis, a direction (Y-direction) parallel to a Y-axis, and a direction (Z-direction) parallel to a Z-axis are perpendicular to one another. In the following, as an example, a vertical direction used in the description regards a +Z-direction side as an upward side and a −Z-direction side as a downward side, but the vertical direction does not represent a universal vertical direction. Further, a plan view refers to a view normal to an XY-plane. In the following description, a length, a width, a thickness, or the like of each component may be exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the configuration.

1 FIG. 100 100 110 120 130 110 110 110 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an input deviceaccording to an embodiment. The input deviceincludes a foam layer, an electrostatic sensor, and a control device. The foam layeris an example of an input section, and an upper surface of the foam layerconstitutes an operating surfaceA.

110 100 120 100 100 When a user performs a pressing operation by pressing the operating surfaceA in a downward direction with a fingertip FT, and the input devicedetermines that the pressing operation is performed based on an electrostatic capacitance value between the fingertip FT and the electrostatic sensor, the input deviceconfirms an operational content of the pressing operation. The input devicecan be operated by a hand or the like other than the fingertip FT, but a case where the operation is performed by the fingertip FT will be described below. The fingertip FT, the hand, or the like of the user are examples of a manipulating body.

100 100 100 100 100 100 The input devicecan be attached to a part having cushioning properties, such as a door panel, an armrest, or the like of a vehicle, for example, but the input devicemay be attached to other parts of the vehicle. The input devicemay be installed on platforms other than the vehicle, such as a train, an aircraft, or the like. The platform on which the input deviceis installed is not limited to a mobile platform, such as the vehicle, the train, the aircraft, or the like, and the input devicemay be attached to an interior of a building or the like. Hereinafter, a case where the input deviceis installed on the vehicle will be described as an example.

110 120 110 120 120 110 120 1 FIG. The foam layeris disposed on the electrostatic sensor. In, the foam layerand the electrostatic sensorare illustrated separately in order to facilitate understanding of the configuration of the electrostatic sensor, but in actual practice, the foam layeris disposed in a state superimposed on the electrostatic sensor.

110 110 100 The foam layercan be made of a foam material, such as urethane foam, sponge foam, rubber foam, or the like, and has cushioning properties. The upper surface of the foam layermay be covered with a skin (not illustrated). In this case, an upper surface of the skin serves as the operating surface of the input device.

110 111 112 111 112 111 112 111 112 112 111 111 112 The foam layerincludes a foam layerand a foam layer. The foam layerand the foam layerhave identical thicknesses in the Z-direction, and heights of upper surfaces of the foam layerand the foam layerare aligned. The foam layeris harder than the foam layer, and the foam layeris softer than the foam layer. The foam layerand the foam layermay be manufactured separately or manufactured integrally.

120 110 120 120 121 122 120 121 122 121 122 120 120 121 111 122 112 The electrostatic sensoris provided under the foam layer. The electrostatic sensorincludes a substrateA and a plurality of detection electrodesand, for example. More specifically, the electrostatic sensorincludes two detection electrodesand two detection electrodes, for example. The detection electrodesandare provided on a surface of the substrateA on the +Z-direction side, for example. The substrateA is a printed circuit board. The two detection electrodesare located under the foam layer, and the two detection electrodesare located under the foam layer.

121 122 121 122 121 122 130 125 120 121 122 120 Areas of the detection electrodesandare identical in the plan view, for example, and outer diameters and shapes of the detection electrodesandare identical. The detection electrodesandare connected to the control devicevia an interconnect. The electrostatic sensormay include at least one detection electrodeand at least one detection electrode. The electrostatic sensormay include three or more detection electrodes located at different positions along the X-direction.

130 131 132 133 131 132 133 130 131 132 133 131 132 133 131 132 133 1 FIG. The control deviceincludes a measurement unit, a correction unit, and a determination unit. Althoughillustrates a configuration in which the measurement unit, the correction unit, and the determination unitare disposed inside one control deviceas an example, the measurement unit, the correction unit, and the determination unitmay be configured by separate integrated circuits (ICs), micro controller units (MCUs), or the like, for example. That is, the measurement unit, the correction unit, and the determination unitmay be configured by a measurement circuit, a correction circuit, and a determination circuit, respectively. The measurement unit, the correction unit, and the determination unitmay be functional blocks implemented by the MCU executing one or more computer programs stored in a memory, for example.

131 121 122 133 The measurement unitmeasures electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesand, respectively, and outputs the electrostatic capacitance values to the determination unit.

132 121 122 131 121 122 132 The correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesandmeasured by the measurement unit. A method of correcting the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesandby the correction unitwill be described later.

133 110 132 The determination unitdetermines that the manipulating body performed a pressing operation on the operating surfaceA in a case where the electrostatic capacitance value corrected by the correction unitis greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

2 FIG.A 2 FIG.B 100 andare diagrams illustrating examples of states where the fingertip FT performs the pressing operation on the input device.

111 112 111 112 110 Hereinafter, a case where the pressing operation is performed on the foam layersandwith a predetermined pressing force will be described. Predetermined pressing forces on the foam layersandwhen performing the pressing operation are identical. The predetermined pressing force is a force that lightly presses the operating surfaceA downward, for example.

2 FIG.A 2 FIG.B 2 FIG.A 2 FIG.B 111 100 121 111 112 100 122 112 125 130 illustrates only the foam layerof the input device. The detection electrodesare provided under the foam layer. In addition,only illustrates the foam layerof the input device. The detection electrodesare provided under the foam layer. Inand, the illustration of the interconnectand the control deviceis omitted.

111 111 110 111 1 2 FIG.A Because the foam layeris hard, it is difficult to press the foam layerdownward when a pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force as illustrated in. In this case, a displacement of the upper surface (operating surfaceA) of the foam layerin the Z-direction is indicated by D.

112 111 112 110 112 112 110 112 2 2 1 2 FIG.A 2 FIG.B The foam layeris softer than the foam layer(refer to), and thus, the foam layeris easily deformable into a concave shape. For this reason, as illustrated in, when a pressing operation is performed on the upper surface (operating surfaceA) of the foam layerwith the predetermined pressing force, the foam layeris easily pressed downward. In this case, a displacement of the upper surface (operating surfaceA) of the foam layerin the Z-direction is indicated by D. The displacement Dis larger than the displacement D.

112 111 2 1 2 122 112 1 121 111 2 FIG.A 2 FIG.A Because the foam layeris softer and more easily deformable than the foam layer, the displacement Dby the same predetermined pressing force as in the case ofis larger than the displacement Din. For this reason, a distance Lin the Z-direction between the fingertip FT and the detection electrodewhen the pressing operation is performed on the foam layerwith the predetermined pressing force is shorter than a distance Lin the Z-direction between the fingertip FT and the detection electrodewhen the pressing operation is performed on the foam layerwith the predetermined pressing force.

120 111 112 1 2 2 FIG.A 2 FIG.B Because an output of the electrostatic sensorrepresents the electrostatic capacitance value between the fingertip FT and the detection electrode located directly under the fingertip FT, when the pressing operation is performed with the same force, the output becomes different between the case where the pressing operation is performed on the hard foam layerillustrated inand the case where the pressing operation is performed on the soft foam layerillustrated in. This is because the displacements Dand Dare different.

120 122 112 120 121 111 2 1 2 FIG.B 2 FIG.A 2 FIG.B 2 FIG.A More specifically, the output of the electrostatic sensor(electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrode) when the pressing operation is performed on the soft foam layeras illustrated inis larger than the output of the electrostatic sensor(electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrode) when the pressing operation is performed on the hard foam layeras illustrated in. This is because the distance between the fingertip FT and the detection electrode for the case illustrated inis Land shorter than the distance Lfor the case illustrated in.

110 111 112 110 110 110 Accordingly, the foam layerincludes the foam layersandhaving different hardnesses, and thus, the foam layerincludes portions where the displacements with respect to the pressing operation on the operating surfaceA by the fingertip FT with the predetermined pressing force differ depending on the positions on the operating surfaceA.

3 FIG. 3 FIG. 2 FIG.A 2 FIG.B 120 121 120 111 122 120 112 is a diagram illustrating an example of the output of the electrostatic sensor.illustrates the electrostatic capacitance value (broken line) of the detection electrodeof the electrostatic sensorwhen the pressing operation is performed on the hard foam layerwith the predetermined pressing force as illustrated in, and the electrostatic capacitance value (solid line) of the detection electrodeof the electrostatic sensorwhen the pressing operation is performed on the soft foam layerwith the predetermined pressing force as illustrated in.

3 FIG. 111 112 110 110 110 The abscissa inrepresents the time (seconds). The pressing operation on the hard foam layerand the pressing operation on the soft foam layerare performed in the same manner with respect to a lapse of time. More specifically, the fingertip FT is sufficiently away from the operating surfaceA at a time of 0 second, approaches the operating surfaceA with the lapse of time, touches the operating surfaceA at a time of 10 seconds, and performs the pressing operation on or after 10 seconds.

3 FIG. 120 121 122 121 122 121 122 121 122 120 130 The ordinate inrepresents the output of the electrostatic sensor(electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesand). The electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesandare represented by electrostatic capacitance count values. The electrostatic capacitance count values are difference values obtained by digitally converting the electrostatic capacitance values (analog values) of the detection electrodesandand subtracting a predetermined reference value, respectively. The predetermined reference value corresponds to an electrostatic capacitance count value of the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesandin a state where the operation by the fingertip FT is not performed on the electrostatic sensor, and represents a noise floor. In addition, a threshold value TH is a value based on which the control devicedetermines that a pressing operation is performed, and is assumed to be 45 in terms of the electrostatic capacitance value in the following description.

112 122 112 112 112 As indicated by the solid line, when the pressing operation is performed on the soft foam layerwith the predetermined pressing force, the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodebecomes greater than or equal to the threshold value TH at a time of 20 seconds, and becomes a constant value of 50 on or after the time of 20 seconds. On or after the time of 20 seconds, the predetermined pressing force and a reaction force of the foam layerbecome balanced, and the foam layerassumes a state where the foam layercannot be pressed further downward.

111 121 111 111 111 121 122 As indicated by the broken line, when the pressing operation is performed on the hard foam layerwith the predetermined pressing force, the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodebecomes less than the threshold value TH at the time of 20 seconds, and becomes a constant value of approximately 28 on or after the time of 20 seconds. On or after the time of 20 seconds, the predetermined pressing force and a reaction force of the foam layerbecome balanced, and the foam layerassumes a state where the foam layercannot be pressed further downward. When the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force, the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodeis smaller than the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrode.

111 112 111 112 112 111 111 Accordingly, when the pressing operation is performed on the foam layersandwith the predetermined pressing force, because the hardnesses of the foam layersanddiffer, it is determined that the pressing operation is performed when the pressing operation is performed on the foam layer, but it is determined that no pressing operation is performed when the pressing operation is performed on the foam layer. In order to complete the pressing operation on the foam layer, it is necessary to perform the pressing operation with a force larger than the predetermined pressing force.

111 112 112 It is also conceivable to determine that the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force on both the hard foam layerand the soft foam layerby lowering the threshold value TH to approximately 20, for example. However, if the threshold value TH is lowered to approximately 20, for example, it is determined that the pressing operation is performed even in a case where the pressing operation is performed on the soft foam layerwith a pressing force smaller than the predetermined pressing force, and a difference in tactile sensation occurs. For this reason, the problem described above is solved in the following manner without changing the threshold value TH.

100 132 121 122 The input devicesolves the problem described above by performing a correction by the correction unitso that the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesandbecome identical when the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force.

132 121 122 121 122 121 132 121 122 121 As an example, the correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesand, so that the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodewhen the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force becomes identical to the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodewhen the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force. A correction value multiplied to the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodewhen the correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodeis a ratio (50/28) that is obtained by dividing the electrostatic capacitance value (50) of the detection electrodewhen the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force by the electrostatic capacitance value (28) of the detection electrodewhen the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force, for example.

122 132 122 In addition, the correction value multiplied to the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodewhen the correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodeis 1, for example.

122 132 122 132 121 122 122 122 1 121 122 The case where the correction value multiplied to the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodeis 1 can be regarded as a case where the correction unitdoes not correct the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrode. However, the correction unitcorrecting only the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodewithout correcting the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodeis based on the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrode, and thus, is equivalent to setting the correction value multiplied to the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodetoand correcting the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesand.

132 121 122 121 122 110 The correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance values of the plurality of detection electrodesandusing smaller correction values in cases where the displacement caused by the pressing operation performed at pressing positions overlapping the plurality of detection electrodesandon the operating surfaceA in the plan view becomes larger.

132 121 122 The plurality of correction values used when the correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance values of the plurality of detection electrodesandhave values such that the electrostatic capacitance values of the corresponding detection electrodes after the correction become identical in the case where the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force.

132 122 122 121 In a case where it is possible to reduce the threshold value TH, the correction unitmay correct the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodeso that the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodewhen the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force becomes identical to the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodewhen the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force.

132 121 122 121 122 121 122 Further, the correction unitmay perform the correction by multiplying a correction value greater than 1 to the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesand, so that the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesandbecome identical when the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force. In this case, an appropriate threshold value TH may be provided with respect to the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesandafter the correction.

4 FIG. 4 FIG. 2 FIG.A 2 FIG.B 132 100 121 132 111 122 112 is a diagram illustrating an example of the electrostatic capacitance values corrected by the correction unitof the input deviceaccording to the embodiment.illustrates the electrostatic capacitance values (broken line) of the detection electrodescorrected by the correction unitwhen the pressing operation is performed on the hard foam layerwith the predetermined pressing force as illustrated in, and the electrostatic capacitance values (solid line) of the detection electrodeswhen the pressing operation is performed on the soft foam layerwith the predetermined pressing force as illustrated in.

4 FIG. 3 FIG. 3 FIG. 4 FIG. 3 FIG. The abscissa and the ordinate inrepresent the time (seconds) and the electrostatic capacitance value (electrostatic capacitance count value), respectively, similar to. The threshold value TH is the same as the threshold value TH illustrated in, and is 45 in the following description. The characteristics of the electrostatic capacitance value illustrated inwere obtained by performing the same operation as in the case of obtaining the characteristics of the electrostatic capacitance value illustrated in.

122 122 112 122 112 112 112 3 FIG. The characteristics of the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodeindicated by the solid line are the same as the characteristics of the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodeillustrated in. Accordingly, when the pressing operation is performed on the soft foam layerwith the predetermined pressing force, the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodebecomes greater than or equal to the threshold value TH at the time of 20 seconds, and becomes a constant value of 50 on or after 20 seconds. On or after 20 seconds, the predetermined pressing force and the reaction force of the foam layerbecome balanced, and the foam layerassumes a state where the foam layercannot be pressed further downward.

121 111 111 111 3 FIG. 4 FIG. In addition, the characteristics of the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodeafter the correction indicated by the broken line are characteristics obtained by multiplying a correction value (50/28 as an example) to the electrostatic capacitance value indicated by the broken line in. The electrostatic capacitance value of the characteristics indicated by the broken line inbecomes greater than or equal to the threshold value TH at the time of 20 seconds, and becomes a constant value of approximately 50 on or after 20 seconds. On or after 20 seconds, the predetermined pressing force and the reaction force of the foam layerbecome balanced, and the foam layerassumes a state where the foam layercannot be pressed further downward.

111 112 132 121 1 2 111 112 111 112 132 121 122 131 133 110 130 133 111 112 130 133 111 112 111 112 Accordingly, in the case where the hardnesses of the foam layersanddiffer, the correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodeso that the difference in the distances Land Lis canceled, and the change in the electrostatic capacitance value can be aligned when the pressing operation is performed on the foam layersandwith the same predetermined pressing force. In other words, the correction value is set in advance so that the electrostatic capacitance values of the corresponding detection electrodes become identical in the case where the pressing operation with the predetermined pressing force is performed on the foam layersand, and the correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance values of the plurality of detection electrodesandmeasured by the measurement unitusing the correction value. As a result, it is possible to determine that the pressing operation is performed using the common threshold value TH (fixed criteria). That is, the determination unithas the predetermined threshold value set in advance so as to determine that the pressing operation is performed even in a case where the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force at any of the pressing positions on the operating surfaceA. In other words, the control device(determination unit) determines that the pressing operation is performed in a case where the pressing force exceeds a predetermined value for both of the foam layersandhaving the different hardnesses. To do this, the threshold value TH of the electrostatic capacitance value in the control device(determination unit) needs to be set to an appropriate value in advance. The user can perform the pressing operation with the same tactile sensation with respect to both of the foam layersandhaving the different hardnesses, and the user can perform the pressing operation with the predetermined pressing force without perceiving unnatural tactile sensation due to the difference between the hardnesses of the foam layersand.

5 FIG. 100 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 110 140 140 140 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cross sectional configuration of an input deviceM according to a modification of the embodiment. The input deviceM includes a foam layerM, the electrostatic sensor, the control device, a skin, a base, and a substrate. The foam layerM and the skinare examples of the input section, and an upper surface of the skinconstitutes an operating surfaceA.

100 100 100 100 100 100 The input deviceM can be attached to a part having cushioning properties, such as a door panel, an armrest, or the like of a vehicle, for example, but the input deviceM may be attached to other parts of the vehicle. The input deviceM may be installed on platforms other than the vehicle, such as a train, an aircraft, or the like. The platform on which the input deviceM is installed is not limited to a mobile platform, such as the vehicle, the train, the aircraft, or the like, and the input deviceM may be attached to an interior of a building or the like. Hereinafter, a case where the input deviceM is installed on the vehicle will be described as an example.

120 130 120 130 100 110 140 150 160 140 140 100 1 FIG. Because the configurations of the electrostatic sensorand the control deviceare the same as those of the electrostatic sensorand the control deviceof the input deviceillustrated in, the foam layerM, the skin, the base, and the substratewill be described in the following. The pressing operation is performed on the upper surface of the skinconstituting the operating surfaceA of the input deviceM.

110 120 151 150 152 110 152 110 110 140 The foam layerM is disposed on the electrostatic sensorthat is provided on a flat portionof the base, and is provided between the two wall portions. A thickness of the foam layerM in the Z-direction is aligned to a height of the wall portionsin the Z-direction, for example. The foam layerM can be made of a foam material, such as foam urethane, foam sponge, foam rubber, or the like, and has cushioning properties. An upper surface of the foam layerM is covered with the skin.

110 110 111 112 110 121 122 120 1 FIG. The foam layerM differs from the foam layer(foam layersand) illustrated inin that the hardness of the portions of the foam layerM provided on all of the plurality of detection electrodesandof the electrostatic sensoris constant.

140 110 140 140 152 150 153 153 140 152 140 152 The skinis a cover having elasticity and made of a resin, synthetic fiber, synthetic leather, leather, or the like, and the skin covers the entire upper surface of the foam layerM. The skinhas a rectangular shape in the plan view, for example, and ends along four sides of the skinare bonded to upper ends of the wall portionsof the baseusing an adhesive. A double-sided tape may be used in place of the adhesive, and the ends of the skinand the upper ends of the wall portionsmay be fixed by physically engaging the ends of the skinand the upper ends of the wall portions.

150 100 151 152 150 The baseis a portion serving as the base of the input deviceM, and includes the flat portionand the wall portions. The basecan be made of an insulator, such as a resin or the like, for example.

151 120 110 151 The flat portionis a plate-shaped portion that holds the electrostatic sensorand the foam layerM. The flat portionhas a rectangular shape in the plan view, for example, but is not limited to the rectangular shape and may have various shapes.

152 151 152 151 151 151 152 110 151 152 The wall portionsextend in the +Z-direction from ends of the flat portionon the −X-direction side and the +X-direction side. The wall portionsare formed integrally with the flat portion, for example, but may be manufactured separately from the flat portionand fixed to the flat portion. The wall portionsdefine a position in the X-direction where the foam layerM is disposed on the flat portion. The wall portionsare thin plate-like members parallel to a YZ-plane and extend in the Y-direction.

152 151 152 151 152 152 151 As an example, a case where one wall portionis provided at each of the ends of the flat portionon the −X-direction side and the +X-direction side will be described. However, the wall portionsmay be provided at the ends of the flat portionon the −Y-direction side and the +Y-direction side. The wall portionsmay be provided at the ends on the −X-direction side and the +X-direction side and the ends on the −Y-direction side and the +Y-direction side. In this case, four wall portionsare provided along four sides of the flat portionhaving a rectangular shape in the plan view.

120 151 150 110 120 The electrostatic sensoris provided on the flat portionof the base, and the foam layerM is provided on the electrostatic sensor.

160 130 160 151 150 160 151 160 125 120 130 160 160 125 120 160 130 125 160 5 FIG. A wiring board, such as a printed wiring board (PWB), a flexible printed circuit (FPC), or the like can be used for the substrate, for example. As an example, the control deviceis provided on a lower surface of the substrate. Although a space is provided between the flat portionof the baseand the substratein, the flat portionmay be disposed on and in contact with the substrate. In addition, the interconnectmay connect the electrostatic sensorand the control devicevia a route bypassing the ends of the substrate, or may pass through holes provided in the substrate. The interconnectmay connect the electrostatic sensorand terminals or the like on an upper surface of the substrate, and the control devicemay be connected to the interconnectvia an interconnect or the like of the substrate.

100 140 140 160 140 140 The input deviceM may display a symbol on a front face of the skinby illuminating the skinfrom under the skin with a light emitting diode (LED) or the like provided on the upper surface of the substrateor the like. A portion having a shape of the symbol and capable of transmitting light may be provided in the skin, and a light emitting portion having the shape of the symbol can be provided by illuminating the lower surface of the skinwith the LED.

The symbol is a letter, a number, an icon, a line drawing, a graphical mark, or the like, for example, and represents a function, a type, or the like of an electronic device mounted on the vehicle, for example. Specific examples of the electronic device include switches of a power window or door mirror, control switches of an air conditioner, or the like, for example.

160 150 110 120 150 110 120 Accordingly, in a case where the LED is disposed on the upper surface of the substrateto provide the light emitting portion having the shape of the symbol, portions of the base, the foam layerM, and the electrostatic sensorpositioned in an optical path may be made transparent, or a space may be provided in portions of the base, the foam layerM, and the electrostatic sensorfor allowing the light to pass.

6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B 6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B 6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B 100 121 122 120 100 110 151 150 160 andare diagrams illustrating examples of states where the pressing operation is performed on the input deviceM with the fingertip FT.andillustrate the detection electrodesandof the electrostatic sensorin the input deviceM. In addition, inand, the illustration of the foam layerM, the flat portionof the base, and the substrateis omitted.

121 152 121 152 121 The detection electrodeare provided on the −X-direction side of a center between the two wall portionsin the X-direction. The two detection electrodesare arranged in the Y-direction along the wall portionon the −X-direction side. The positions of the two detection electrodesin the X-direction are identical.

122 152 122 122 The detection electrodesare provided at positions equidistant from the two wall portionsin the X-direction. The two detection electrodesare arranged in the Y-direction, and the positions of the two detection electrodesin the X-direction are identical.

121 121 122 The detection electrodesmay also be disposed on the +X-direction side symmetrically to the detection electrodeson the −X-direction side with respect to the detection electrodes, but a description of such an arrangement will be omitted.

6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B 122 140 121 140 illustrates a state where the pressing operation is performed at a position directly above the detection electrodeat a central portion of the skinin the X-direction.illustrates a state where the pressing operation is performed at a position directly above the detection electrodeat an end portion of the skinon the −X-direction side in the X-direction.

6 FIG.A 140 152 140 140 140 140 140 2 As illustrated in, the central portion of the skinin the X-direction is separated from the wall portions, and thus, the skinis easily deformable into a concave shape. For this reason, when the pressing operation is performed at the central portion of the skinin the plan view with the predetermined pressing force, the skinis easily pressed downward because the central portion of the skinis resilient. In this case, the displacement of the skinin the Z-direction is D.

6 FIG.B 140 140 152 140 140 140 140 140 140 1 1 2 Further, as illustrated in, the end portion of the skinon the −X-direction side is near the portion where the skinis bonded to the wall portion, and thus, the skinis less likely to be deformed than the central portion of the skinin the plan view. For this reason, when the end portion of the skinon the −X-direction side is pressed with the predetermined pressing force, the skinis not easily pressed downward because the end portion of the skinis not as resilient as the central portion. In this case, the displacement of the skinin the Z-direction is D, and the displacement Dis smaller than the displacement D.

2 1 140 140 121 122 As described above, the displacements Dand Dare different between the case where the pressing operation is performed at the central portion of the skinin the X-direction and the case where the pressing operation is performed at the end portion of the skinon the −X-direction side, and thus, the distances between the fingertip FT and the detection electrodesandare also different.

132 121 121 122 1 2 121 122 132 140 133 133 140 130 140 130 133 140 140 140 When the correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrodeso as to cancel the difference in the distances between the fingertip FT and the detection electrodesanddue to the difference in the displacements Dand D, the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesandwhen the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force can be aligned. In other words, the correction unithas a correction value that is set in advance so that the electrostatic capacitance values of the corresponding detection electrodes become identical regardless of whether the pressing operation with the predetermined pressing force is performed at the central portion or the end portion of the skin. As a result, the determination unitcan determine that the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force, using the common threshold value TH. That is, the determination unithas a predetermined threshold value that is set in advance so as to determine that the pressing operation is performed even in a case where the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force at any pressing position on the operating surfaceA. In other words, the control devicedetermines that the pressing operation is performed in a case where the pressing force exceeds a predetermined value for both the central portion and the end portion of the skin. To do this, the threshold value TH for the electrostatic capacitance value in the control device(determination unit) needs to be set to an appropriate value in advance. Further, the user can perform the pressing operation with the same tactile sensation regardless of whether the pressing operation is performed at the central portion of the skinin the X-direction or at the end portion of the skinon the −X-direction side, and the user can perform the pressing operation with the predetermined pressing force without perceiving unnatural tactile sensation due to the difference in hardness at the central portion and the end portion of the skin.

100 100 110 100 110 100 110 140 152 140 140 100 110 132 121 121 122 140 140 140 5 FIG. 6 FIG.A 6 FIG.B The input deviceM according to the modification of the embodiment is described above with reference to,, and. The input deviceM includes the foam layerM. However, the input deviceM may not include the foam layerM. Even when the input deviceM does not include the foam layerM, if the end portion of the skinis fixed to the wall portion, the displacement is different between the case where the pressing operation is performed at the central portion of the skinin the X-direction and the case where the pressing operation is performed at the end portion of the skinon the −X-direction side. For this reason, even in the case where the input deviceM does not include the foam layerM, the correction unitcan correct the electrostatic capacitance value of the detection electrode, and thus, the electrostatic capacitance values of the detection electrodesandwhen the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force can be aligned. Further, the user can perform the pressing operation with the same tactile sensation regardless of whether the pressing operation is performed at the central portion of the skinin the X-direction or at the end portion of the skinon the −X-direction side, and the user can perform the pressing operation with the predetermined pressing force without perceiving unnatural tactile sensation due to the difference in hardness at the central portion and the end portion of the skin.

100 110 110 140 121 122 131 121 122 132 121 122 131 110 132 121 122 121 122 121 122 The input deviceincludes the input section (foam layer) having the operating surface (A,A) configured to be operated by the manipulating body (fingertip FT), the plurality of detection electrodesandprovided on a back side of the operating surface, the measuring unitconfigured to measure the electrostatic capacitance value of each detection electrode of the plurality of detection electrodesand, and the correction unitconfigured to correct the electrostatic capacitance value of each detection electrode of the plurality of detection electrodesandmeasured by the measurement unit. The input section (foam layer) has portions where the displacement with respect to the pressing operation with the predetermined pressing force on the operating surface by the manipulating body is different depending on positions on the operating surface. The correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance value of each detection electrode of the plurality of detection electrodesandusing smaller correction values for cases where a displacement caused by the pressing operation performed at pressing positions overlapping the plurality of detection electrodesandon the operating surface in the plan view becomes larger. For this reason, even when the pressing operation is performed at a portion where the displacement with respect to the pressing operation with the predetermined pressing force varies depending on the position on the operating surface, the electrostatic capacitance values of the plurality of detection electrodesandcan be aligned.

100 Accordingly, it is possible to provide the input devicecapable of determining that the pressing operation is performed on the operating surface based on fixed criteria.

133 132 132 133 100 The input device may further include the determination unitconfigured to determine that the pressing operation is performed on the operating surface by the manipulating body in the case where the electrostatic capacitance value corrected by the correction unitis greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value (threshold value TH). In the case where the electrostatic capacitance value corrected by the correction unitis greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value (threshold value TH), the determination unitdetermines that the pressing operation is performed, and thus, it is possible to provide the input devicecapable of determining that the pressing operation is performed on the operating surface based on fixed criteria.

133 110 100 The determination unitmay have a predetermined threshold value (TH) set in advance so as to determine that the pressing operation is performed even in the case where the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force at any pressing position on the operating surfaceA. Even in the case where the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force at any pressing position, it is possible to provide the input devicecapable of reliably determining that the pressing operation is performed and determining that the pressing operation is performed using the common threshold value TH.

132 121 122 121 122 100 The plurality of correction values used when the correction unitcorrects the electrostatic capacitance values of the plurality of detection electrodesandmay have values such that the electrostatic capacitance values of the corresponding detection electrodes after the correction become identical in the case where the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force. Even in the case where the pressing operation is performed with the predetermined pressing force at any pressing position on the operating surface, the electrostatic capacitance values of the plurality of detection electrodesandbecome identical, and thus, it is possible to provide the input devicecapable of determining that the pressing operation is performed using the common threshold value TH.

150 150 152 110 140 110 140 152 140 152 100 140 140 The input section may further include the basethat holds the input section, the basemay include the wall portionsadjacent to the end portion of the input section in the plan view, the input section may include the foam layerand the skinthat covers the foam layer, and the end portion of the skinmay be fixed to the end of the wall portionadjacent to the end of the input section. By fixing the end portion of the skinto the wall portion, it is possible to provide the input devicecapable of determining that the pressing operation is performed on the operating surface based on fixed criteria even in the case where the displacement of the skinis different between the central portion and the end portion of the skin.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an input device capable of determining presence of a pressing operation with respect to a sensor operating surface based on fixed criteria.

Although the input device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is described heretofore, the present disclosure is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments, and various variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the subject matter recited in the claims.